1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a separator device for a conveyor and to a conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conveyors are commonly used for the storage of pallets or boxes in gravity or dynamic storage. Dynamic storage facilities are made of chutes fitted with rollers or cylinders mounted parallel to one another on beams forming a frame which is tilted from its upstream to its downstream section. These rollers and/or cylinders determine a raceway on which the loads, generally handling pallets, are placed for storage.
In order to suppress the problems associated with the extraction of the loads located at the lower portion of the storage chute, and notably that of the pressure exerted onto the end load by the accumulation of the upstream loads, a load separator device is commonly used at the level of the downstream end of the chute. This device is suited to isolate at least the first load, located downstream on the facility, with respect to the other loads which are waiting upstream, in order to allow smooth extraction of this first load, without causing any problems, using for instance a fork lift.
These separator devices comprise a pedal and a stop, interconnected by a pole or a tie shaped linking rod as coupling. The pedal has been accommodated at the end of the chute and is designed to be actuated by the downstream load. The stop is used to retain the upstream loads in order to separate them from the load located at the downstream end. This stop is brought into active separating position by the pedal when the latter is actuated by the end downstream load and it is deactuated when said downstream load is removed. The removal allows the following load take its place at the end of the chute and actuates, in turn, the pedal as well as the retaining stop for the other loads.
Moreover, to provide greater safety when handling the load removed downstream of the chute, it may be beneficial to retain the upstream loads, to give time to the operator to remove the downstream load without being affected by the pressure of the other loads on the chute. In this view, the load separation devices can be fitted with means enabling to prevent an early release of the barrier when removing the downstream load.
The document FR 2 729 936 shows the possibility of using such means that retain the stop during a given time after the separator pedal is activated. The pallet separator includes a delay device in the form of a controlled leak jack whose rod stroke extends from a delay start position to a delay end position. The jack is capable of maintaining the stop in an active position for sufficient time to allow removal and handling of the downstream load before arrival of the next load at the end of the chute. A delay member consists of a leak type hydraulic jack, arranged under the separator stop comprising a cylindrical body enclosing a mobile plunger which separates the cylindrical body into two chambers filled with oil. When the separator stop is activated, the mobile plunger slides into the cylindrical body pushing oil into the upper chamber. A spring pushes the plunger back out of the cylindrical body against the pressure of the oil. The separator stop is pushed into its separating position by the plunger. This return into the separating position is slowed by the oil.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative and improved separator device for a conveyor.